Physician (Radiologist) EDRP and Incentive

VA TEXAS VALLEY COASTAL BEND HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
The VATVCBHCS is comprised of the Corpus Christi Outpatient Clinic, Corpus Christi Specialty Clinic, Harlingen Outpatient Clinic, Health Care Center at Harlingen, Laredo Outpatient Clinic, and McAllen Outpatient Clinic. The VATVCBHCS is an ambulatory health care system providing health care in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, and rehabilitation medicine. The VATVCBHCS also operates a 100-patient Home Based Primary Care program and a 200-patient Care Coordination Home Tele-Health Program. Through the utilization of inpatient/emergency department contracts, approximately 2600 inpatient admission and 5800 ER visits are managed by VATVCBHCS. Affiliated with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Medical School, the system has an active ambulatory care program and serves as a teaching and training site for medical residents. The VATVCBHCS is responsible for an enrollee population of over 30,000 veterans and 350,000 outpatient visits annually.

In addition to the clinical practice, the general Diagnostic Radiologist' duties include contributions to quality assurance and performance improvement, oversight of technical quality, education of staff and trainees, committee assignments and other activities that support clinical operations and the mission, values and goals of the VA and the Medical Center to include the following:
Provide expertise and support in various facets of Diagnostic Radiology and patient care.
Oversight of quality and safety:

• Review exam requests for appropriateness.- Prescribe exam protocols and modify as needed for specific clinical indications.
• Provide oversight of technical image quality with feedback to technologists.
• Provide clinical oversight of medication administration, including contrast, preps and other medications relevant to the Imaging Service.
• Provide oversight and serve as resource for radiation and MRI safety.
• Provide oversight and serve as resource for infection control practices.
• Participate in various aspects of quality assurance such as peer review, protocol review, appropriateness criteria and performance improvement.

Image Interpretation and Consultation:

• Interpret imaging exams including relevant exam comparison and correlation with clinical information in CPRS. Generate reports that contain pertinent findings and measurements, a description of normal and abnormal structures, discussion of differential diagnoses, recommendations and impression.
• Support patient care services with reports timely to the care being delivered with the method of communication appropriate to the level of clinical importance or acuity.
• Consult with providers on various aspects of imaging such as exam selection, review of results and other support functions.

Patient Care:

• Interact with patients to obtain relevant clinical history and physical exam findings within the scope of radiology practice, provide education to patients and support,
• obtain informed consent, issue disclosures when appropriate, document in CPRS, enter orders in CPRS, and other aspects of physician practice.
• Participate in the coordination of patient care: Contact clinical providers as relevant to assure effective patient care, discuss evaluation, management, follow-up and other aspects of coordinated, patient-centered care. Make timely and definitive notification of time-sensitive results and/or results that have major clinical significance.
• Integrate resources to provide current, optimal care: consult colleagues, research literature, maintain continuing education and other sources of current practice.

Medical Staff Functions:

• Participate in Imaging and general medical staff meetings, committee assignments, compliance and other components of an organized medical staff.

Education:

• Support academic affiliations in technologist, medical student, resident and other teaching programs that involve the Imaging Service. Provide clinical experience, cognitive development, and other aspects of effective teaching.
• Research:
• Research is not required. Research is encouraged by the VA, and supported as feasible to allow the opportunity for study design, data collection, analysis, publication and other aspects of research.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday (8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 49-54 days of annual paid time offer per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 10 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting